Twelve years ago, Alice, a high school student, killed herself. Her family never really understood why she did it, and her loss has affected each of them in different ways. Now, her younger brother Benji and her best friend Morgan are getting married—a surprise to both families, since they never told anyone they were dating.
The wedding is at a cottage in Maine, and although 12 years have passed since Alice’s suicide, the gathering of family and friends feel her loss palpably. And as with any family gathering, old hurts and arguments are rehashed, secrets are revealed, and love will be celebrated.
Benji’s parents, Nick and Linnie, divorced not long after Alice’s death. Nick, now married to his former mistress, has been hiding the fact that he lost his finance job six months ago. Linnie brings Ezra, a man she has recently begun dating, to the wedding, and Ezra has secrets of his own. And Morgan’s father Peter is hoping to dissuade his daughter from getting married—but for different reasons than you’d imagine.
As Benji and Morgan try to focus on their love for one another and hope to keep the peace, it’s difficult for both of them not to get drawn into the drama. Can the wedding set everyone on the right path?
A slow-burn, character-driven story, the book shifts back and forth in time to various events before and after Alice’s death, and is narrated by several characters. This is beautifully written but the pacing felt very slow at times, and the plot went on tangents that seemed extraneous. But I can’t get enough of family dysfunction!!
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